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High-Tech Transplant Procedure For Hair Loss

February 4, 2013 2:42 PM

(credit: Thinkstock)

MIAMI (CBS Miami) –– Two-thirds of American men experience hair loss by age 35. However, there’s a new high tech hair transplant procedure coming to the rescue and Miami is one of the few cities that have it.

There are only 15 ARTAS Robotic System machines in the U.S. and Dr. Paul Rose of the Hair Transplant Institute of Miami has one of them.

ARTAS provides hair restoration with a less labor intensive procedure allowing more follicular units to be transplanted in less time. The robotic system plucks out healthy hair follicles and puts them back into areas of the head that are going bald.

A patient named “Jose” is 26 years old and decided to undergo the procedure.

“I noticed that I started losing my hair when I was 22 or 23. If I lose it when I’m 50, 60, it’s okay. It’s the natural process. But not so young,” Jose said.

All the hair on the back of Jose’s head was graphed out; the healthy hair follicles are chosen at random. After they are individually cleaned and prepped, those hairs are then implanted on the top of his head.

The patient remains under local anesthesia the entire procedure.

“Actually throughout the process I didn’t feel any pain at all,” Jose said.

Hair transplant procedures are usually tedious and done by hand but ARTAS speeds it up significantly.

“It can take three to four hours to harvest 15-hundred graphs, with the robot that could be half the time,” Dr. Rose explained.

In the traditional procedure, a piece of the scalp is cut off and sewn back together. With the ARTAS, there are no scars.

“I’ve always liked to wear my hair short and I have that possibility with this procedure without any scars,” Jose said.

Jose’s hair should grow back thicker in the next six months.

“I’m sure that when I have my full hair back I’m going to feel better about myself,” Jose said.

The ARTAS system is an expensive choice. It can cost anywhere from $6,000 to $15,000.